Baz Luhrmann Coming to TV with Hip-Hop Era Drama

After conquering the worlds of film and theater, it looks like Baz Luhrmann will finally be taking on television, as he's shopping around a series based around the birth of hip-hop, Vulture reports.

Luhrmann, the man who brought us 'Moulin Rouge!,' 'Romeo + Juliet,' and most recently, 'The Great Gatsby,' has teamed up with producer Shawn Ryan ('The Shield,' 'Terriers') and playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis for a period-drama following two best friends during the birth of hip-hop in New York in the late '70s. Luhrmann is known for his beautiful and colorful cinematography, and one can hardly wait to see what he will do with the sights and sounds of New York City in the 1970s.

While few specific plot details are known at this point, it is said that the series will be based around a group of friends in New York, specifically two best friends: one a talented writer, and one a born performer. The series' first season will take place in 1977, at the height of disco fever, and two years before the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight."

While it won't be a musical, like some of Luhrmann's other creations, music will be heavily featured, especially since the show is based around the birth of hip-hip. Look at what he did with 'The Great Gatsby': Luhrmann took a classic story and gave it one of the best soundtracks of the year, featuring current artists. Plus, he worked closely with Jay-Z for 'Gatsby,' perhaps he could bring him on board for this project as well.

The show is Luhrmann's creation, and all three men (Luhrmann, Ryan, and Guirgis) will produce the show, with Guirgis writing the pilot, and Ryan supervising. The show has been shopped around to executives at Netflix, Amazon, and FX this week, and other cable networks, including Showtime, will also be taking meetings for the project.

Are you excited for a hip-hop television series from Baz Luhrmann? Let us know in the comments!

You had at Shawn Ryan. I'll watch anything he's involved in, especially if he becomes the actual showrunner. But AMC should really jump on this with both feet They desperately need a prestige show to replace Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

Anonymous

Message Posted On Dec 13th, 2013, 6:52 am

"Are you excited for a hip-hop television series from Baz Luhrmann? Let us know in the comments!" Is there some type of insipid playbook management forces on the talent? I read a decent article only to discover moronic questions at the end. C'mon we are all adults, we don't deserve this level of incompetence. And it demeans the writers. The questions ruin articles and should have been edited out.